Cushion underframe



June 21, 1966 (5, w, P 3,256,999

CUSHION UNDERFRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1964 FIG. 4

FIG. 2

Inventor: Geoffrey W. Cope his Attorney June 21, 1966 G. w. COPE CUSHION UNDERFRAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 24, 1964 will" chm.

Inventor I Geoffrey W. Cope his Attorney June 21, 1966 e. w. COPE 3,

CUSHION UNDERFRAME Filed April 24, 1964 a Shets-Sheet s 32 Inventor:

Geoffrey W. Cope his Attorney FIG. 7

United States Patent Office 3,256,999 CUSHION UNDERFRAME Geoffrey W. Cope, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Symington Wayne Corporation, Salisbury, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Apr. 24, 1964, Ser. No. 362,322 10 Claims. (Cl. 213-8) This invention relates to railway car cushion underframes of the type having a floating sill movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved cushion underframe, wherein the operating mechanisms for the couplers are carried by the floating sill, thereby making it unnecessary to compensate in the mechanisms for relative longitudinal movement between the floating and fixed sills.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cushion underframe, wherein provision is made for centering the couplers preparatory to coupling and the centering devices, as well as the coupler operating mechanisms, are carried by the floating sill.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cushion underframe wherein a draft arm mounting a vertically pivotable coupler is mounted for horizontal pivoting in each end of the floating sill and the floating sill also mounts devices for centering the draft arms and operating mechanisms for the couplers.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a cushion underframe for a railway car, wherein the floating sill not only mounts draft arms and couplers and the centering devices and operating mechanisms therefor, but has at its opposite ends laterally projecting end sills each supporting outer parts of a centering device and opperating mechanism in positions in which they are readily operable from a side of the car.-

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway car cushion underframe of the foregoing character in which the centering device and operating mechanism at each end of the floating sill are operable from either one or each side of the car and the operating mechanism is of such arrangement and construction as to accommodate the extended lateral movement of which each coupler is capable by virtue of its mounting in a draft arm.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the append claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a preferred emmodiment of .the frame of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view on an enlarged scale of the underframe of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a horzontal sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG- URE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along lines 77 of FIGURE 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters'designate like parts, the improved cushion underframe of the present invention, designated as 1, is comprised of a floating or draft sill or column 2 longitudinally slideable or movable in a fixed sill 3 which usually will be formed of a pair of Z-sill members 4 and forms part of a fixed underframe 5 of a railway car (not shown). As in a conventional cushion under- I frame, the floating sill 2 of the underframe 1 of this invention is a rigid column which extends through and projects at either end beyond the fixed sill 3 and is supported therein on suitable cross-members 6, only one of which is shown. Also conventionally, the floating sill 2 is yieldably or resiliently connected to the fixed sill 3 by suitable resilient or cushioning means (not shown) for enabling the floating sill to move longitudinally under buffing and draft forces without transmitting the full impact of such forces to the fixed sill.

Particularly designed to provide long travel of the floating sill 2 and for application to a long car, such as ft. piggyback cars, the illustrated cushion underframe 1 resembles the draft rigging shown in my copending application Serial No. 326,521, filed November 27, 1963, in having mounted or carried in each end of the floating sill 2 a draft arm 7 connected at the rear for limited horizontal swinging, pivoting or swivelling to the floating sill and mounting or carrying in its front end 8 a coupler 9 with the latter connected for vertical swinging, pivoting or swivelling to the draft arm. With a type F or interlocking coupler head 10, the coupler 9 not only is swingable both vertically and horizontally relative to the fixed sill 3, but by depending for horizontal swinging on the connection between the draft arm 7 and the floating sill 2, swings through a lesser are for a given lateral displacement of its head than can a type F coupler in a conventional installation, with corresponding reduction in the maximum lateralforce that can be transmitted through the coupler to the car. To accommodate the lateral swinging of the draft arm 7 over its range of longitudinal movement relative to the floating and fixed sills 2 and 3, the sides 11 and 12, respectively of the floating and fixed sills, conveniently are flared toward their ends.

Due to the extended lateral displacement of which it is capable, the head 10 of the coupler 9, in uncoupled condition, well can be so far off center as to be beyond the gathering range of its head and that of an adjoining coupler on a car to which its caris to be coupled. Since the combined weight of the coupler 9'and draft arm 7 is such as to render it diflicult to center the coupler manually preparatory to a coupling operation and reliance upon manual centering in any case is undesirable from the standpoint of possible injury to the operator, the illustrated cushion underframe 1 incorporates a mechanical centering device 13 which can be operated from a safe position at one or either side of the car. To enablethe coupler 9 to be uncoupled, the underframe 1 includes a. coupler operating, unlocking or uncoupling mechanism 14 for operating each coupler, and this mechanism, too, is adapted to be operated safely from one 'or either side of the car. i

conventionally, the operating means 15 for the centering device 13 and the operating mechanism 14 would have v their outer or handle parts supported on either the adjoining end of the car or the fixed end sill 16 of the fixed underframe 5. I-Ioweventhis poses a problem of large proportions in requiring there to be compensation within the operating means 15 and mechanism 14 for at least the relative longitudinal movement of the floating and fixed sills 2 and 3 and the problem becomes particularly acute if, as is .now often the case in long travel cushion underframes, this movement is on the order of twenty inches.

The problem is solved in the underframe 1 of this invention by providing on each end and at one or each side of the floating sill 2 a wing, projection or stub sill 17 pref erably substantially flush at the front with the end of the sill and projecting, extending or outstanding laterally from the sills adjoining side. Welded or otherwise suitably fixed to or made rigid with the floating sill 2 and conveniently of box construction and closed on all sides, each of the wings 17 preferably terminates outwardly adjacent Patented June 21, 1966 to the plane of the adjoining side of the car so as to enable the operating mechanism 14 or the centering device 13 or both to be operated from that side.

In the illustrated cushion underframe 1 in which there are at each of the ends of the floating sill 2, wings 17 on opposite sides of the sill for enabling the coupler 9 to be centered and operated from either side of the car, the operating mechanism 14 preferably has an operating rod 18 that extends across the front walls or faces 19 of the wings substantially to their ends and across the floating sill 2 below the opening 20 therein for the draft arm. The operating rod 18 has its ends bent to form handles 21 and, therebetween, is supported by and rotatable in mounting brackets 22, there being in the illustrated arrangement a pair of brackets riveted or otherwise fixed or secured to the front walls of the wings 19 and an intermediate bracket mounted on the floating sill below the draft arm opening.

Although not required to compensate for relative longitudinal movement of the floating and fixed sills 2 and 3, the operating mechanism 14 must accommodate thehorizontal and vertical swinging of the coupler 9 relative to the floating sill and, in the illustrated embodiment, also the relative longitudinal movement between the coupler and the floating sill resulting from the provision in the sill rearwardly of the draft arm 7 of a cushioning unit 23 for receiving and partly cushioning bufling forces on the coupler. To .this end the preferred operating mechanism 14 is of multi-part construction and includes in addition to the operating rod 18, a mid-rod 24 hung or suspended at its ends from an outer part of the operating rod 18 in front of one of the wings 17. Slideable through its end hangers 25 along the operating rod 18, the mid-rod 24 has one of its hangers positioned between the adjoining pair of mounting brackets 22 to limit its longitudinal movement relative to the operating rod and that hanger also is keyed to the operating rod so as to cause the latter and the mid-rod to swing together as the operating rod is swung by one of its handles 21. The remaining part of the preferred operating mechanism is an inner or end rod 26 having at its inner end an integral hook 27 and slideably suspended at its outer end from the mid-rod 24 by a hanger 28 positioned between the end hangers 25 of the mid-rod and keyed to the latter so as to swing in unison therewith.

So long as it is carried by and moves longitudinally with the front sill 2, does not interfere with the movement of the coupler 9 relative to the floating sill under service conditions, and can be operated from a position at a side of the car, the centering device may be of any suitable type. These requirements are particularly well met by the illustrated centering device 13 which, in addition, is both simple in construction and eflicient in operation. Entirely removed from the draft arm opening 20, except during a centering operation, the illustrated centering device 13 is similar to that shown in my copending application Serial No. 302,668, filed August 16, 1963, in being adapted to shift the coupler 9 incrementally, rather than continuously, from initial to centered position and in employing for the purpose a shifter plate 29 that moves in a circular path and has its upper edge 30 projected into the opening 20 into engagement with the underside of the draft arm 7 over the part of that path in which its edge is moving in one lateral direction. Except during a centering operation, the forepart of the draft arm 7 is supported and slides on a flat, horizontally disposed upper face 31 of a cross-beam or bearer 32 that is fixed to or rigid with and extends across and closes the front end of the floating sill 2 below the opening 20.

Of built-up rather than cast construction, the illustrated cross-beam 32 has its upper, draft arm-supporting face 31 formed on a wear plate 33 which is welded or otherwise fixed to and supported on a vertically projecting, horizontal, upper leg 34 of a bulb angle 35. A channel member 36 of substantially the depth of the bulb angle 35, is

bolted or otherwise suitably fixed or secured to the flat rear or back 37 of the vertical, lower leg 38 of the bulb angle, with the top and bottom or side flanges 39 of the channel member forwardly facing and engaging that leg.

Centered laterally on the floating sill 2, the vertically disposed shifter plate 29 is mounted or received in a correspondingly disposed pocket 40 in and intermediate the ends of the crossbeam 32 and bounded forwardly by the back 37 of the vertical leg 38 and the vertical web 41 of the channel member 36. Of a width to engage the underside of the draft arm 7 over the range of lateral movement of the arm between the sides 11 of the floating sill 2, the shifter plate 29 is backed by the vertical leg 38 of the bulb angle 35 and projects or extends vertically into slots 42 in the side flanges 39 of the channel member 36, which, with the bulb angles vertcial leg 38, guide and maintain the vertical disposition of the plate.

Projecting at all times through the slotted upper side flange 39 of the channel member 36, the shifter plate 29 is projectable intermittently above the upper face 31 of the cross-beam 32 only over that part of its circular or rotary movement in either direction in which its upper edge 30 moves in one lateral direction and otherwise is retracted below that face. Thus, on being rotated in one direction, the shifter plate 29, during a part of each cycle of rotation, will engage and lift the draft arm 7 and in process apply a lateral force to the arm that causes the latter to move toward one side or another of the floating sill 2. It is this lateral force, applied always in the same direction for a given direction of rotation of the shifter plate 29, that enables the plate incrementally to shift or move the coupler 9 to centered position.

The bi-directional circular or rotary movement responsible for the incremental shifting is imparted to the shifter plate 29 by mounting it, preferably through ball or other suitable antifriction bearings 43, on the eccentric hubs or crank arms 44 of a pair or plurality of laterally spaced cranks or eccentrics 45, the drive shafts or axles 46 of which extend through and are journallcd in the vertical leg 38 of the bulb angle 35 and the web 41 of the channel member 36 at the front and rear of the pocket 40. For driving the eccentrics 45, each has on its shaft 46, forwardly or outwardly of the vertical leg 38 of the bulb angle 35, one of a pair of mating bevel gears 47, the other of which is fixed to an operating shaft 48 of the devices operating means 15. Suitably journallcd in the cross-beam 32, the operating shaft 48 extends horizontally thereacross and across one or, if provided, both of the wings 17, at that end of the floating sill 2, with an end or end portion journallcd and supported in and projecting through the end wall 49 of each such wing and having attached to it, outwardly of that wall, a suitable handle 50. The bevel gears 47 preferably are contained within the longitudinal limits of and covered by the horizontal leg 34 of the bulb angle 35.

With the above construction and each handle 21 on i the operating rod 18 of the coupler operating mechanism 14, normally hanging down against the front face 19 of the adjoining wing 17 inwardly of the adjoining handle 50 on the operating shaft 48 of the centering device 13, either the operating mechanism or the centering device can be operated without interference with the other and both can be operated from a side of the car with a minimum of effort and without exposing the operator to the danger of going between cars. Too, since both the operating mechanism 14 and the centering device 13 are in Whole carried by the floating sill 2 and move longitudinally therewith relative to the fixed sill 3, the extent of the travel of the center sill has no effect upon and need not be compensated for in either the mechanism or the device.

It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A cushion underframe comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted in an end of said floating sill, and a coupler unlocking mechanism mounted on and carried in whole by said floating sill.

2. A cushion underframe comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, means for unlocking said coupler, and means for centering said coupler on said floating sill, said unlocking and centering means being mounted on and canried in whole by said floating sill.

3. A cushion underframe comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral and vertical swinging in an end of said floating sill, means for un locking said coupler, and non-automatic means for centering said coupler on underlying track, said unlocking and centering means being mounted on and carried in whole by said floating sill.

4. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking means carried in whole by said floating sill and including handle means supported by said wing means in a position for operation from a side of said car.

5. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking and centering means carried in whole by said floating sill and each including handle means supported by said wing means in position for operation from a side of said car.

6. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, wing means on and oustanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking and centering means carried in whole by said floating sill, said unlocking means including an operating rod extending substantially across said Wing means and having handle means mounted thereon adjacent an outer end thereof, and said centering means including an operating shaft extending through said wing means and having handle means thereon beyond said outer end.

7. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a draft arm mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, a coupler mounted for relative vertical swinging in an outer end of draft arm, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking and centering means carried in whole by said floating sill, said unlocking means including a multiplicity of rods intercon nected for swinging in unison and relative longitudinal sliding, an inner of said rods being connected to said coupler and an outer of said parts having handle means mounted on said wing means adjacent an outer end thereof, and said centering means including laterally movable shifter means engageablewith said draft arm for shifting said coupler to centered position and an operating shaft for moving said shifter means, said operating shaft extending through and having thereon handle means beyond an adjoining outer end of said wing means.

8. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a draft arm mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, a coupler mounted for relative vertical swinging in an outer end of said draft arm, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an 5 end portion of said floating 'sill, and coupler unlocking and centering means carried in whole by said floating sill, said unlocking means including a multilicity'of rods interconnected for swinging in unison and relative longitudinal sliding, an inner of said rods being connected to said coupler and an outer of said rods having handle means mounted on said wing means adjacent an outer end thereof, and said centering means including a shifter plate eccentn'cally mounted on said floating sill for circular movement in a plane substantially normal to a centerline of said floating sill and normally retracted from and intermittently projectable into a coupler-receiving opening in said floating sill for intermittently engaging said draft arm and incrementally shifting said coupler laterally therein, and an operating shaft drivably connected to said shifter plate and extending through and having handle means mounted on an adjoining outer end of said wi'ng means.

'9. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported'by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a draft arm mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, a coupler mounted for relative vertical swinging in an outer end of said draft arm, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking and 30 centering means carried in whole by said floating sill, said unlocking means including a multiplicity of rods interconected for swinging in unison and relative longitudinal sliding, an inner of said rods being connected to said coupler and an outer of said rods having handle means mounted on a front wall of said wing means adjacent an outer end thereof, and said centering means including a shifter plate ec'centrically mounted 'on said floating sill for circular movement in a plane substantially normal to a centerline of said floating sill and normally retracted from and intermittently projectable into a coupler-receiv ing opening in said floating sill for intermittently engaging said draft arm and incrementally shifting said coupler laterally therein, and an operating shaft drivably con- 45 nected to said shifter plate and extending through and having handle means mounted on an adjoining outer end of said wing means.

10. A cushion underframe for a railway car comprising a floating sill supported by and movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted for relative lateral swinging in an end of said floating sill, wing means on and outstanding laterally from an end portion of said floating sill, and coupler unlocking means carried in whole by said floating sill, said unlocking means including a multiplicity of rods interconnected for rotation in unison and relative longitudinal sliding, an inner of said rods being connected to said coupler, and an outer of said rods having handle means mounted on a front wall of said wing means adjacent an outer end thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 207,094 8/1878 Ballard 213-20 1,012,255 12/1911 Hogen 213 2 2,149,840 3/1939 Christianson 213 14 2,568,831 9/1951 Simonson 213--8 3,082,708 3/1963 Peterson 105-3925 3,143,082 8/1964 Austgen 105--366 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner. B. FAUST, Assistant Examiner. 

9. A CUSHION UNDERFRAME FOR A RAILWAY CAR COMPRISING A FLOATING SILL SUPPORTED BY AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY IN A FIXED CENTER SILL, A DRAFT ARM MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE LATERAL SWINGING IN AN END OF SAID FLOATING SILL, COUPLER MOUNTED FOR RELATIVE VERTICAL SWINGING IN AN OUTER END OF SAID SHAFT ARM, WING MEANS ON AND OUTSTANDING LATERALLY FROM AN END PORTION OF SAID FLOATING SILL, AND COUPLER UNLOCKING AND CENTERING MEANS CARRIED IN WHOLE BY SAID FLOATING SILL, SAID UNLOCKING MEANS INCLUDING A MULTIPLICITY OF RODS INTERCONNECTED FOR SWINGING IN UNISON AND RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL SLIDING, AN INNER OF SAID RODS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID COUPLER AND AN OUTER OF SAID RODS HAVING HANDLE MEANS MOUNTED ON A FRONT WALL OF SAID WING MENS ADJACENT AN OUTER END THEREOF, AND SAID CENTERING MEANS INCLUDING A SHIFTER PLATE ECCENTRICALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FLOATING SILL FOR CIRCULAR MOVEMENT IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO A CENTERLINE OF SAID FLOATING SILL AND NORMALLY RETRACTED FROM AND INTERMITTENTLY PROJECTABLE INTO A COUPLER-RECEIVING OPENING IN SAID FLOATING SILL FOR INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGING SAID DRAFT ARM AND INCREMENTALLY SHIFTING SAID COUPLER LATERALLY THEREIN, AND AN OPERATING SHAFT DRIVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SHIFTER PLATE AND EXTENDING THROUGH AND HAVING HANDLE MEANS MOUNTED ON AN ADJOINING OUTER END OF SAID WING MEANS. 